Yes! Queen Elizabeth II will be the second English monarch (after Queen Victoria in 1897) to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee!
London has a lot in store. From the Thames River Pageant with a thousand boats mustering on the Thames, to the lighting of thousands Jubilee beacons, a great many events are being planned around the extended first weekend of June but also…

• March with Commonwealth Day,
• April with a special National Maritime Museum exhibition,
• May with three nights of events in the private grounds of Windsor Castle, and ...

And there are many more year-round charitable, cultural, and political events!

The Queen came to the throne on 6 February 1952 but her coronation date was the 2nd of June 1953. Thus, she is no novice to grand celebrations in her honor.  In 1977 Londoners honored her Silver Jubilee and in 2002 her Golden Jubilee.

This is, however, is the Big Year for the Queen! London has events planned throughout the year but especially around the big day which is 3 June, 2012!

Thames River Pageant

At high water in the afternoon of Sunday 3 June 2012, up to a thousand boats will muster on the River Thames in preparation for Her Majesty The Queen to lead the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.

It will be one of the largest flotillas ever assembled on the river. Rowed boats and working boats and pleasure vessels of all shapes and sizes will be beautifully dressed with streamers and Union Jacks, their crews and passengers turned out in their finest rigs. The armed forces, fire, police, rescue and other services will all be afloat. And there will be an exuberance of historic boats, wooden launches, steam vessels and other boats of note.

Diamond Jubilee Pageant

Dancers, musicians, military and equestrian displays from around the world will come together for three nights in the private grounds of Windsor Castle on 10, 11 and 13 May!